Farming finds Goss

Published 4:53 am, Friday, October 3, 2014

Making the fourth generation of Goss farmers in Swisher County, are Jamie, Brook, Avery, Lane and Micheal Goss.

Making the fourth generation of Goss farmers in Swisher County, are Jamie, Brook, Avery, Lane and Micheal Goss.

Photo: Courtesy Photo

Farming finds Goss

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The following sponsored content is a continuation of the Farmer Friday series which spotlights a local producer. This week’s article is sponsored by Gebo’s.

For Swisher County producer Michael Goss, farming wasn't in his long-term plan when he opted to take a summer farmhand job in his mid-20s.

But a decade later, Goss' roots in farming have grown too deep to sever, as the 37-year-old now couldn't be happier raising crops along with his family on more than 2,100 acres of land between Tulia and Kress.

"I just couldn't get away from farming," Goss said.

Like many agricultural producers throughout the South Plains, Goss originally came from a lengthy lineage of farmers and is the fourth generation producer to work land in the area.

Moving into the area in the 1930s, Goss' great-grandparents, Walter and Hattie Goss, bought their first farm acreage in 1936. Their son Herbert and wife Gladys eventually took over that farm after moving back into the area in 1951. Keeping it in the family, Michael's father Carl eventually took the land over and raised his family from the income derived from crops of cotton, wheat and milo.

Growing up on the farm, Goss said he learned vital lessons which have carried him through life.

"You learn a lot on the farm," Goss said. "I learned the value of work. And about the rewarding feeling you get when you plant a seed and get to watch it grow, then seeing the end result of your hard work."

But after graduating from Plainview High School in 1995, Goss said he really had no aspirations of making farming a career.

Working at the Scott Tractor dealership in Plainview while in high school, Goss said he enjoyed being a mechanic, as he helped out in the dealership's shop.

Goss worked for a brief time after graduation at the dealership, but soon moved to attend college in the College Station area.

Eventually Goss moved back to Swisher County and took a summer farmhand job on land owned by Cody Gruhlkey, a former classmate.

"I planned just to do it for the summer," Goss said.

But destiny had other plans for Goss, as he soon fell in love with the farming way of living.

Already with experience from being raised on a farm, Goss learned even more from Gruhlkey as they helped each other for the next 10 years.

After that, Goss thought it was time to branch out and start farming on his own. With the help of Gruhlkey, Goss worked out a deal that allowed him to borrow farming equipment as he worked to make the transition.

"I was very thankful," Goss said. "The expense to start farming, with the cost of equipment, is overwhelming."

Goss started farming on his own as he began working the land for a retired farmer before eventually buying his own acreage.

Goss would eventually take over his family's land after his father became ill and couldn't climb back on a tractor.

And the extra acreage would come in handy as Goss and his wife Jamie grew their family to include 10-year-old Brook, 6-year-old Avery and 3-year-old Lane.

"The bigger the family, the more acres you need," Goss said with a laugh.

Goss said he has experienced a lot of ups-and-downs on the tractor during the past 15 years.

"Faith is what keeps me going," Goss said. "I don't know how you can farm and not have faith."

Goss said in the future, he will continue to be a "steward of the land" while also adapting new techniques to survive in the changing climate of West Texas agriculture.